Role Purpose:

The Chief Strategy & Development Officer – Mining is a senior executive role responsible for leading all pre-operational, pre-investment, and strategic development activities for the Group’s mining portfolio in Venezuela. The role is accountable for portfolio strategy, investment prioritization, feasibility leadership, and capital readiness, shaping long-term value creation before assets transition into execution and operations. Acting as the principal strategic owner of the portfolio, the role interfaces closely with the Group CEO, Board, and shareholders to define risk-adjusted growth pathways and investment decisions.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Growth

Portfolio Strategy Leadership: Define and lead the long-term strategy for the Venezuelan mining portfolio, aligning mineral development priorities with Group growth objectives and shareholder value creation.
Value Creation Roadmap: Establish clear development pathways from exploration through feasibility to investment readiness, ensuring disciplined progression of assets.

Stakeholder, Government & Board Relations

Government & Regulatory Engagement: Lead senior-level engagement with government authorities and regulators to support concessions, licensing, and permitting processes.
Board & Shareholder Advisory: Act as the principal advisor to the Board and shareholders on mining strategy, portfolio risk, and investment sequencing.

Financial Performance & Capital Management

Capital Readiness Leadership: Oversee the development of investor-ready financial models, capital allocation frameworks, and bankable assumptions.
Funding Strategy Support: Support equity, debt, and strategic partner discussions by providing robust technical and economic narratives.

Business Development & Market Expansion

Opportunity Screening: Lead technical, commercial, and economic screening of greenfield and brownfield mining opportunities across Venezuela.
Strategic Pipeline Development: Build and maintain a prioritized pipeline of mining investments aligned with Group strategy and capital discipline.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

Risk Management: Identify and manage technical, regulatory, geopolitical, ESG, and reputational risks across the mining portfolio.
Governance Assurance: Ensure alignment with local regulations and international mining, ESG, and governance standards.

Operational Excellence & Efficiency

Feasibility Ownership: Act as internal owner of scoping, pre-feasibility, and feasibility studies, ensuring practical, executable outcomes.
Advisor Challenge & Control: Critically challenge external advisors to avoid theoretical solutions and ensure suitability to the Venezuelan operating context.

Digital Transformation & Innovation

Decision-Support Tools: Promote the use of advanced modelling, scenario analysis, and portfolio analytics to support investment decisions.
Data-Driven Strategy: Ensure consistent, high-quality data inputs across technical, economic, and strategic assessments.

Brand, Reputation & Communication

Strategic Narrative Development: Shape credible, compelling strategic narratives for investors, partners, and stakeholders.
External Representation: Represent the Group as a senior mining strategy authority in high-level strategic and investment forums.

Sustainability, ESG & Corporate Responsibility

ESG Integration: Embed ESG principles into early-stage project evaluation, feasibility design, and portfolio prioritization.
Responsible Development: Ensure sustainability and social responsibility considerations are incorporated into long-term development strategies.

People, Culture & Organizational Leadership

Internal Capability Building: Build and lead internal technical and advisory capabilities as projects advance through development stages.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Coordinate closely with Group Mining, Finance, Legal, ESG, and Strategy teams to ensure integrated decision-making.

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, Geology, Metallurgy, or a related technical discipline.
Master’s degree in Mining Engineering, Mineral Economics, Business Administration, or Strategy is highly preferred.

Experience

Minimum 20 years of experience in mining, with significant exposure to portfolio strategy, project development, and feasibility leadership.
Proven track record in leading multi-commodity mining portfolios, preferably including nickel, cobalt, vanadium, gallium, coltan, or REEs. Demonstrated experience managing international advisors and engaging at Board and shareholder level.

Knowledge and skills

Deep understanding of mining project development cycles from exploration to investment decision.
Strong financial modelling, economic evaluation, and capital planning expertise.
Excellent stakeholder management skills in complex regulatory and geopolitical environments.
Ability to operate at strategic, commercial, and technical levels simultaneously.

Languages

Fluent English and Spanish (mandatory)

UCC Holding

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Chief Strategy Officer - Mining - Venezuela